Filing device



Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES :PATENT OFFICE FILING DEVICE v Harry Irwin Jeffers, Montgomery, Ala.

f Application September 16, 1938, Serial No. 230,313

1- Claim.

Theinvention relates to 'a filing device and more especially to a quick reference document filing device.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein documents, memorandums, prescriptions or the like can be filed in packs constituting single units so that easy reference may be had thereto for selectivity, particularly with regard to prescriptions used by pharmacists in that such prescriptions are serially numbered and the packs in the filing bear groups of numerically arranged prescriptions according to the serial numbers thereof, the ling device being of novel construction in that the papers constituting the documents, memorandums or prescriptions may be swung in one direction so as to expose to view the underlying ones and thereby enabling quick selectivity of a particular document, memorandum or prescription and avoids the necessity of the removal thereof from the pack unless so desired.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the packs are held in order and can be disposed in their individual units one above the other and in overhanging relation to each other for easy access and convenience in the use of such documents, memorandums or prescriptions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the respective packs can be readily removed, each as a unit and are held conveniently in orderly arrangement.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the same functions to assure the saving of both time and space, better visibility in reling and is novel in its make-up.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and effective in operation, neat in appearance, readily and easily handled and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred and modified forms of embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing;

Figure l is an elevation of the device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation looking toward the rear of one of the back clips.

Figure 4 is an elevation thereof looking toward its front showing by full lines normal position of a document held therebyand by dotted lines the shifted position of the same.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a sectional View on the line 6 6 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows` Figure 7 is a fragmentary View similar to Figure 2 showing a slight modification.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan View of the rack thereof.

Similar reference characters indicate corre- 20 sponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, particularly Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, the device constituting the present invention in its preferred embodiment comprises a base support or the like A, in this instance in the form of a racking paddle, having the main relatively Wide body portion I0 and a handle I I, respectively. Secured to an eX- posed face of the body portion I0 and uppermost thereof is a hanger strip I2 which isl disposed transversely and is of hook-like rack formation at I3. Releasably engageable with the hanger I2 at the rack portion I3 is a rear hooking flange I4 of a strip-like clip I5 which is of a correspond- 35 ing length to said hanger I2 and carries centrally thereof an outwardly directed tubular stud I6 through which is trained a double prong paper clip I'I, its prongs being spaced apart by an intermediate separator I8 within the stud I6 and such 40 prongs are extended outwardly of the said stud for piercing a document I9 such as a sheet-like memorandum, prescription or the like for filing.

In the handling of the documents, these can be arranged in a pack and held upon the clip I5, 5 they being perforated suitably for swinging support on the stud I6 when in` the pack and suspended from the clip. Thus a selected document I9 can be turned from the normal straight position shown by full lines in Figure 4 to the dotted line position in said ligure of the drawing and in this manner ready access may be had selectively to a document in the pack held by the clip.

At one side of the body I0 is a bearing 20 for a swinging outwardly bowed resilient holding spring 2| which can be moved over and against the outermost document of the pack when carried by the clip l5 and hung by the hanger I3 or reversely swung away from such pack, the purpose of the spring 2| being to hold the documents in the pack orderly and also to maintain the clip I5 engaged with the hanger I2.

It is usual that prescriptions in the handling thereof by pharmacists be serially numbered and these are numerically arranged in their serially numbered fashion in the pack carried by the clip and such pack may be of a determined number of prescriptions. Now when it is desired to observe a particular prescription in the pack, it is only necessary to shift the undesired prescriptions laterally in a swinging direction until arriving at the particular prescription in the pack as composed in the filing device.

In Figures 7 and 8 of the drawing there is shown a slight modification, wherein thel rack 22 is made from sheet metal and has cut and struck outwardly from one face thereof the racking hangers 23 with which are engaged the filing clips l5 hereinbefore described and in this manner a plurality of packs of documents can be held in the device in the serially numbered orderly arrangement.

Associated with the paper fastener at the outermost end of the stud I6 is a Washer 24 affording a facial piece for the pack.

What is claimed is:

A swinging device of the kind described comk prising a raclnng means having a hanger, a filing clip releasably engaged with the hanger and having a tubular stud, a paper fastening clip passed through the stud for separately fastening documents swingingly upon the latter, a spring coactive with the documents for holding the same orderly When carried by the clip, and means swingingly connecting the spring with the racking means.

HARRY IRWIN JEFFERS. 

